Jesus is the eternal Word; God incarnate; the Angel of the Lord in Old Testament
Branhamism teaches that Jesus Christ pre-existed as the eternal Word of God before His incarnation. In the Old Testament, Jesus is identified as 'the Angel of the Lord' who appeared to the patriarchs and led Israel through the wilderness. This pre-existent Word of God was fully God, creator of all things, yet voluntarily entered human history in the incarnation.
Branham's theology emphasizes that the same person who spoke creation into existence in Genesis became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. The pre-incarnate Christ was active throughout redemptive history, working through prophets and theophanies, and finally appearing in the flesh as the ultimate revelation of God. This understanding reinforces the Oneness framework: the same God-being manifested as the Angel, as Jesus in the flesh, and now as the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Key Distinctions
- Preexistence affirmed:
- affirmed — Jesus is the eternal God (Father, Son, Spirit in one) who pre-existed all creation
- Ot identity:
- Jehovah of the OT is Jesus; the pillar of fire was Christ; Oneness pre-existence
Scripture References
Sources
- William Branham, An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages
- Voice of God Recordings